Early UFC events were eight man tournaments whereby participants were required to beat three opponents in a single evening to be crowned Ultimate Fighting Champion. Fighters were typically skilled in one discipline only, eg. boxing, Judo, Jiu Jitsu etc. and had little experience in battling against opponents with different skills to their own.
With no weight classes, fighters could find them facing opponents who were significantly larger and taller than themselves. (These kind of fights are referred to as 'Freak fights' by MMA enthusiasts, and still occur but mainly in Japanese organizations where the spectacle of the fight is considered as important as the skills being showcased.).
These factors combined led to a trend of short, violent fights. This was very much in line with the way the UFC was being marketed at the time. "There are no rules!" said the famous tagline. Although not strictly true, the UFC did operate with a limited set of rules, techniques such as hair pulling and groin strikes were frowned upon, but valid.
The brutal nature of the burgeoning sport quickly drew it to the attention of the authorities and UFC events were banned in almost all American states. To survive, the UFC redesigned its rules to remove the less palatable elements of fights, whilst still retaining the core elements of striking and grappling. Five minute rounds, Referee stoppages, weight classes and limitations on permissible striking areas gradually found the UFC being rebranded as a sport rather than a violent circus attraction. As the sport evolved, so did its fans and fighters, both of which quickly realized the effectiveness of ground techniques.
The popularization of grappling and submission strategies, particularly those of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, was due almost entirely due to the success of Royce Gracie, whose brother Rorion had been instrumental in creating the UFC. Royce quickly proved in the early UFC events that BJJ was incredibly effective against strikers with no ground game and limited takedown defense.
Royce's efforts were rewarded with 3 Ultimate Fighting Championships.
In 2003, along with fellow UFC veteran Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie was inducted into the UFC's newly founded hall of fame.
Today, Ultimate Fighting Championship events have become very popular in places like Japan, Brazil and the United States, where fights are often seen on television's Pay Per View system. In the United States, championship fights are usually held in Las Vegas, much like in boxing.
Notable UFC Fighters
Royce Gracie
